My God-Sized Dream 2013 Recap

I found out in December 2012 that Holley Gerth had included me in an incredible-99 women- “God-sized Dream Team” as a part of her book launch in February.

The first post I wrote for her weekly dreaming link up was called Texas Dreamin’ and it outlined what I thought my dream was for the year.  Basically, that this website would be an encouraging place for working women and a welcoming place for women to learn about or grow in their faith.

Little did I know that would just scratch the surface of what was to come in 2013.

My best friend gave me the most amazing Christmas present last week.  It’s a photo book recapping a breathtaking whirlwind year that I couldn’t have taken in had you shared it with me 12 months ago.  I read through it like it was someone else’s life.

I started a new job in February.  I love this job.  I’ve had it for 11 months now and it’s the best job I’ve had in my 15 year career.  God’s timing on how this opportunity opened and how He worked to make it happen is a story all on its own.  This is a career dream.  I was also elected President-Elect of the Women’s Energy Network – another tremendous career honor.

God gave me an unbelievable opportunity to author a book on leadership for women and it was published in August.  Learning to Lead enabled me to accept a speaking engagement every week from October 1st until Thanksgiving and actually sold.  The ABA teleconference for the book had over 850 people register.  My darling girlfriends threw me a book launch party and some people even took a picture of me signing their book.  What on Earth?  That’s crazy….I probably had peanut butter on my pants….

In my personal life, I turned 40.  It didn’t bother me in the least (30 sent me sobbing to my room for weeks).  My husband threw me an incredible party.  He and I went to the Wine Country, and my girlfriends took me to Vegas for the first time.  Craziness of all craziness, my triplets turned four.  Four!  They started a full time five-day a week school with uniforms.  They are the most fascinating creatures I’ve ever encountered. A week doesn’t pass when I don’t remember the years of praying to become parents.

But almost more unexpected than all of that, and that was all miraculous, was the God-sized Dream Team itself and what evolved.  Out of 99 women, early on, I connected with one amazing soul sister, Christine.  She lives in Florida and turned 40 this year too and we now talk pretty much every day.  She is this incredible gift of God in my life.  We can connect about everything from intense spiritual challenges to a bad haircut.  It’s almost insane to me that I have only spent three days with her in person.

After Christine, the women God brought into my life from the GSD team just added to this deep spiritual fellowship that I had been longing for in my day-to-day life and missing because of the craziness of just living.   Kristin, Mandy, Elizabeth and all the other Allumees and Sailors that have become such dear friends make me realize that not only can you not set out on a God-sized dream without an awesome crew, but the crew is often so much of the God-sized dream itself.  Working alongside this crew over at God-sizedDreams.com is a gift and a dream and a place of fellowship and encouragement.

And so, as I join the crew of God-sized Dreams website, as I sail further into this career, parenting, spouse-ing, leading, friend-ing, I have no idea what’s next.  But I’ve learned it’s best to take time every day to sit still and listen for His voice because He offers a dream voyage beyond all I could ask or imagine.

I don’t know what 2013 was for you.  It may have been a hardship year.  I will tell you, 2012 was a drought year for me.  Hang in there.  Trust.  Listen.  Connect.  He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.  (Philippians 1)